Come Back to Me
by blondie3862
Summary: The Darling children return from their Neverland adventure and begin to adapt to their new lives. Peter deals with the loss of his Wendy. All are unaware of the adventure that will lead them back to each other
1. growing up?

**AUTHOR NOTE: **This is my first Peter fic, so be nice! Based mostly on the 2003 movie. Please let me know how it is. May change rating for later chapters depending on where my mind takes me. thank you and enjoy!

As Peter flew back towards Neverland he glanced back one last time to the Darlings' window. He had promised Wendy he would return to hear her stories, (about him!) but as he remembered his promise he frowned- Wendy would grow old, and sooner or later (he did not know which) she would tell no stories of his great adventures.

Feeling for only the second time in his life as if his heart was capable of breaking, (this feeling second only to the feeling Hook's words of the locked nursery and a husband on the Jolly Roger) Peter decided that promise or no promise, he would not return to Wendy's window, for in his mind, if he did not return, he could not be forgotten, and Wendy would never grow old in his memories.

A single tear went un-noticed down Peter's cheek as he continued towards Neverland and he hoped with all his being that he was strong and brave enough never to return to Wendy. _His_ Wendy.

...........................................................................................................................................................................

Life in the Darling home was starting to return to normal, with the exception of the six new brothers. The children all attended school and without realizing it, the children were growing up. This is not to say they completely forgot about Neverland for they did not, but they all unconsciously accepted that Neverland and their adventures with Peter were in the past and growing up was their future.

Even Wendy did not fight her adolescence, but she never forgot about the boy who could fly, not for an instant. Every night she would remove Peter's "kiss" from around her neck and place it under her pillow before she slept in order to always keep it near. She believed that this nightly ritual allowed for her dreams to often be of Neverland adventures and of course Peter.

And so the time passed for the Darling children. Life was as it was intended to be for the growing youth, but none of them, not even Wendy, would have foreseen the adventure that would soon find them.

**A/N: short yes, I'm sorry! I'm in the process of getting ready for vacation but I hope to post the second chapter later today! feedback is lovely**


	2. stories and dreams

**A/N: second chapter is up! I don't own Peter Pan, or anything associated with him or the story. please let me know what you think! thanks!**

**story!**

****

"Dark and sinister man! Have at thee!" Nibs charged at Michael as the two dueled. Gathered around them, the other boys watched with fascination and anticipation as the famous battle on the Jolly Roger was reenacted. The boys never seemed to tire of the tale of the great Peter in his grandest adventure. Although it had been almost four years since their return to the Darling home, the stories of their Neverland adventures remained fresh in their minds. The cracking of swords could be heard throughout the house as the battle raged on, but there was something missing. Wendy.

Deciding to skip the nightly battle, Wendy was instead alone in her room writing. Now seventeen and hardly the young girl she once was, (but by no means a woman!) she spent more of her time writing and focused on her future and less time playing make believe with her brothers. Now don't get the wrong idea of the older Wendy Darling. Adventurous as ever, she wrote often of her adventures in Neverland and hoped to one day publish her stories. Wendy knew that her time as a girl was almost up, for it was customary to be deemed a woman by age eighteen, and she'd accepted this fact long ago, but at the same time she had vowed to make the most of her time left as a girl and her adventurous and outgoing spirit remained bright as always.

Her concentration was broken as she heard the shouts coming from down the hall, and although her thoughts were interrupted she had to laugh at her brothers. Looking up from her notebook and out her window Wendy sighed.

_'oh peter,'_ she thought. _'why have you forgotten us? forgotten **me**?' _she thought to herself.

She knew the boys had not forgotten Peter, and she most certainly had not. The boys had concluded some time ago that Peter was not going to return but his stories still fascinated and entertained them, so in this way his memory was kept alive in them more for their own amusement than anything else. In time it seemed, they would forget, but for now they were content simply with the story. Wendy was different. She refused to completely believe that she had been forgotten. Every time she was close to convincing herself that Peter had truly forgotten she remembered his "kiss" which was with her always, and his promise.

"He will come back. He promised," she would tell her brothers, and her faith in the magical boy would be restored. But now it seemed that so much time had passed that maybe she had been wrong after all. There had been times where she had been sure he was right outside her window, but it had always been the wind playing tricks with her, as if it enjoyed seeing her disappointment time and again.

Wendy continued to gaze aimlessly out her window as the noises continued down the hall. Deciding that she had written enough for the night, she stood and headed towards her doorway to join the boys in their game. She turned one last time toward her window before entering the hallway.

"I remember you Peter Pan, and I always will," she said softly out loud as she closed her down and went to join her brothers.

The door closed quickly so there was no way Wendy could have noticed the ripple of wind the blew suddenly and coldly through her window. A shadow flicked for a moment but as soon as it had appeared it was gone, and the wind left the room. Wendy's words had been heard, and her greatest adventure was about to begin.

................................................................................................................................................

As it had always been when the boys reached this particular part of the story, it was the unfortunate duty of one of the boys to portray Wendy, and as always the reenactment was slightly misinterpreted. Wendy reached the Nursery doorway and peered in just as the boys had reached the climax of their battle.

"Silence all!" Michael shouted in a rather accurate impression of the evil Captain Hook, "for Wendy's farewell."

"Farewell!" squeaked Slightly, for it was his turn to play Wendy.

A chorus of groans echoed through the room, and Wendy put her hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. "You know that's not right Slightly," Michael whined, "just get it over with and do it right," he finished with a sigh. Slightly glared at Michael but put his glare aside, took a deep breath and prepared to deliver the actual lines, but the words never got a chance to leave his lips.

"Peter, I'm sorry I must grow up," the boys all jumped and spun towards the Nursery door. Wendy laughed at the expressions of shock on their faces, but the shock quickly turned to smiles as the boys were glad to have Wendt participate in their story.

And so the story had the correct ending, actual Wendy and all, (to which Slightly was greatly appreciative.) The story concluded with the all-too-familiar departure of Peter and it seemed that on this particular night, the sadness and reality of the ending effected all in the room. even Nana. Not wanting to linger on the sadness, Wendy quickly instructed the boys to ready themselves for bed as she helped Nana tidy up the nursery. Wendy said her goodnights and made one final check of the nursery, lighting the night lights and making sure that the window was left un-locked. She wished her brothers one final goodnight before closing the Nursery door and heading to her own room.

Wendy quickly changed and as always, placed Peter's kiss under her pillow. As she drifted off to sleep, a smile formed on her lips as she thought of her earlier antics with her brothers. Shortly after, sleep overcame her and she was soundly dreaming. This made it rather easy for the events that were to follow to occur.

As earlier, the dark shadow appeared outside of Wendy's open window, and the cold wind again blew through. The shadow entered Wendy's room un-noticed and began to take form. Silently the form crept towards the sleeping girl. The shadow came nearer and nearer until it passed completely over Wendy.

"The time has come girl, for you are exactly what I need. Soon, soon it will be as it was," the shadow seemed to hiss as it picked up Wendy and flew out the window.

................................................................................................................................................

Peter was having a nightmare. He had not had one in quite some time, but this, his subconscious was sure, was definitely a nightmare. He was battling Hook again aboard the Jolly Roger. Both were fighting intensely. Hook was speaking to Peter, but as it sometimes is in dreams, especially nightmares, Peter could not understand what he was saying. The battle raged on, and just as Hook was about to deliver the final blow, a word escaped his lips that Peter would never forget.

**_"Wendy!"_**

Peter woke suddenly with a scream. He knew instantly that something was not right, and for the first time in a very long time, Peter Pan was afraid.


	3. realizations and nightmares

**NEW CHAPTER! sorry i haven't updated sooner- just got back from london and got some very good ideas. so here's the first part of the update please let me know what you think and enjoy!**

Wendy opened her eyes. Instead of the bright sunlight she was accustomed to seeing each morning, she seemed to be surrounded by darkness. Trying hard not to panic, she began to looks around, her mind racing as she tried to decide just where she was. It was as her mind raced that Wendy noticed the quiet around her, and as it tends to happen she could then focus on nothing but the silence. Her body shook as it began to register that this place,

'wherever this place is,' Wendy thought, was cold and damp.

She squinted to try and improve her sight but it was useless. She was surrounded by darkness without any idea of where she was or why she was there. Suddenly the surface Wendy was sitting upon dipped suddenly and her stomach was instantly in a knot. At the same time however, Wendy realized something. She had felt that before. She had felt the ground-tilting, stomach-churning feeling long ago, and only once.

"Oh that's silly. That's impossible," Wendy scolded herself out loud, beating back the small glimmer of excitement that this possibility had ignited in her. But as the floor suddenly tilted again, the glimmer rose and beat back all of Wendy's rational thoughts on the subject, for with that second lurch of the floor Wendy knew exactly where she was. The why and how of it all she definitely did not know, but of the where she was most certain.

Instead of using her newfound knowledge to better her captured state, (it appeared to Wendy to be a captured one, although she could not be sure) her mind focused on one thing and one thing only. Peter Pan. And despite the darkness, upset stomach and silent pirates above her Wendy smiled with pure happiness. Peter, _her_ Peter was oh so near and somehow, one way or another, she would see him again. (Of this she was certain.)

Her heart filled with a joy that had been long forgotten but it did not last long.

"Oh Peter," Wendy whispered as tears suddenly began to form in her eyes. She glanced down at her body. "I have returned to Neverland but I am no longer the child you shall always be," she finished softly before allowing her tears and sadness to take hold of her.

Peter sat in darkness in his home underground. His body shook uncontrollably; sweat and tears ran continually down his face, seemingly unnoticed. Never before had he felt such pain. Never in all his days fighting pirates had Peter felt like this. Since the night of his most recent nightmare, Hook's face and one word alone had haunted him.

Wendy

Since that night Peter had hurt. Peter found that his pain was not just of the emotional kind but it seemed that his body ached just as much if not more than his soul. He had not ventured out since that night and his pain had consumed him

His mind was flooded with memories, some of which he remembered and some of which he did not. When Peter's body would finally give in to exhaustion his dreams gave him no relief for the pain followed him there relentlessly.

As Peter sat presently shaking, his mind recalled his most recent of nightmares, and his tears continued to fall.

**A/N: more possibly later today but i am so jet lagged i don't know if i can get to it. please review i love hearing feedback and i'm going to post some thank you's with the next chapter. thanks so much!**


	4. confusion

**more story! please let me know what you think! i'm so thankful for all the reviews i have gotten so far, it means so much to me! thanks again and now on with the story!**

Peter's nightmare played again through his mind as he sat shaking. The nightmares had become a staple in Peter's life ever since...ever since that night. Peter knew this, yet in so many ways he was still a boy and was unable to make the connection that may seem so obvious. Never the less, since Wendy's ;last night in Neverland long ago, (_exactly how long Peter could not comprehend for time is of no consequence in Neverland, but Peter guesses it was a fairly long time,)_ Peter's nights, _(more often than not,)_ had been filled with nightmares. These nightmares were not the only pain that plagued the magical boy. As the time went on he found himself less and less interested in the adventures that Neverland offered him. Peter began to spend more time underground and alone and less time flying and fighting pirates.

_Pirates_. The motley crew still resided in Neverland and with them their heartless captain, James Hook. Peter had seen him not long after Wendy's departure.

"But he is dead! Old, alone, done for!" Peter had cried, but ever the same Hook lived on. Peter had sought out the mermaids for information. The explanation they had offered had been a simple one. Hook had simply gutted the creature from inside before being fully swallowed. Defeated no longer, he had made his way back to his ship and crew and immediately reinstated himself as captain. _(With none objecting.)_

Initially Peter had furious and he had immediately sought out the pirate captain, intent on his demise. But Peter's attacks never produced a death. And then the nightmares had come and Peter began to lose interest in pursuing the resurrected pirate.

The entire Neverland had begun to notice Peter's change in behavior, but the cause was a mystery to all, _(ever Tinkerbell!)_ for they knew not of the boy's nightmares.

Even Hook was curious. He grew impatient and angry when Peter's duels became less and less frequent. Hook came to realize that he looked forward to his daily battles with his young tormentor and his anger increased as the battles became less and less.

Time began to pass and Peter pulled himself further and further into seclusion.

Hook had to do something. Something, he knew, was not right. Although James Hook was a pirate, he was an honorable one. He refused to tale advantage of the anguished Peter Pan.

"When I defeat him," he had said to his crew, "it will be when we are equally matched and my victory and my triumph will be all the more glorious!"

And so Hook had begun to piece together a plan that would force his opponent back into action, and since Hook was a man of considerable intelligence, his plan came to him quickly. It was obvious, to Hook at least, that there was one way and one way only to make Peter feel again. And so Hook had his plan. But enough of what has already come to pass, Back to Peter's present state.

He was on the deck of the Jolly Roger. Peter remembered this dream. It haunted him. Originally he had been unable to hear Hook's words to him, but tonight as the images replayed themselves, Peter understood Hook's shouting and taunting. When Peter finally tore himself awake, it made sense. Sweating, Peter sat curled together as his brain tried desperately to make sense of Hook's words.

"She wanted to grow old, without you," Hook had lashed. "But what would you do clever boy if indeed she did not grow up at all? What then? What if your Wendy was to be killed so that she neither stayed young or grew old but simply ceased to be?" Hook's words had flooded his mind. "Think wisely, and quickly Peter, for you do not have the time to waste. Make the decision I know you want to make, whether you understand it or not."

And then Hook had faded from the dream, but not all were gone, for in Hook's place stood a young girl. She was crying. Curious, Peter had approached her in the dream.

"Girl, why are you crying?" he had asked her. She did not answer but she had raised her eyes to his and Peter had fallen back in shock. "Wendy?" As soon as the word had left his mouth, the image faded and Peter had woke. The more he tried to make all of his dream make sense, the less it seemed to. Peter thought long and hard of what Hook's words could mean. Just when he was about to give in, something in Peter's young mind clicked, and he rose into the air and flew towards a familiar destination.

**A/N: few more days of vacation and then I should be able to update sooner and more often- things are just crazy right now. hope you enjoy!**


	5. i have come back

**next chapter! please review and let me know what you think! thanks! enjoy!**

* * *

"Well boys, it seems fairly obvious to me that Peter returned for Wendy and took her back to Neverland with him," John explained to his brothers for what seemed like the millionth time.

"But why would Peter not take us with him as well?" Nibs questioned for he, (as well as the other boys,) was slightly hurt that he had not been taken back to Neverland too.

Of course this did seem rather odd to the boys and all were in agreement on the topic.

"Do you suppose Peter had nothing to do with Wendy's disappearance?" Michael asked cautiously. He was rather inquisitive for a boy of eleven.

A silence fell over the group who were gather in the nursery as they had been every night since Wendy's disappearance. (It had been a week if you keep track by standard time.)

They had not really considered this possibility.

"What else could have happened?" Curly asked confused.

But again there was silence for no one could come up with an explanation other than Peter Pan.

Mr. and Mrs. Darling had instantly reported Wendy's disappearance as a kidnapping for the years had erased their memories of the existence of Peter, and although the boys, (and Nana!) tried to explain their theory, they simply would hear none of it. The London Police had been searching all through the week but to of no avail for they lacked both a suspect and evidence.

The boys, of course, knew the police would be of no use in finding their sister. But at present, it seemed that they too had nothing to go on other than their Peter theory.

"Well one thing's for certain!" Toodles exclaimed suddenly, breaking the silence and grabbing the groups' attention. (Perhaps Toodles had an idea.) "Wendy is most certainly missing."

The boys all groaned and sighed in unison. They were getting nowhere. Deciding to call it a night and start fresh in the morning, the boys quickly changed and readied themselves for bed. After one last check from Nana, the nursery door was closed, (but certainly not the window!) and the boys drifted off to sleep.

Not long after the last boy began to dream, a shadow appeared in the Darling's window. Peter landed softly in the nursery and looked around. He could not understand why his stomach seemed to be doing flip flops, but as he passed each bed, and as each did not contain Wendy, the flip flop feeling seemed to increase. After passing the last bed in the room with no sign of Wendy, Peter began to panic.

'She must be here! She must! he said to himself.

Deciding that the boys must be aware of Wendy's wareabouts, Peter went to John's bedside and nudged his shoulder.

"John! Wake up!" Peter whispered. He did not wish for all of the boys to wake. John woke quickly, and much to Peter's relief, silently. When John saw who had been the cause of his waking, he gasped and began to speak, but Peter's hand quickly covered his mouth.

"Where is Wendy?" he whispered (perhaps a little more forcibly than needed.)

John shrugged.

"What does that mean?"

John used his hands to pry Peter's off his mouth.

"She is not with you?" John asked alarmed, and quite loudly.

"Shhh!" Peter hissed (but politely,) at John. "Why would she be with me? I am here to take her back to Neverland." he finished pridefully as he smiled his trademark smile.

"Wendy is gone. She's missing. We all believed she had already gone back to Neverland with you," John informed Peter sadly.

The smile was quickly gone from the face of the magical boy. In it's place the pain and hurt that had tormented him for so long returned, (for the first time since he had decided to return for Wendy he noticed,) and Peter was again afraid.

'Wendy, gone? This isn't right!' Peter's mind was racing.

An unfamiliar feeling of need and desperation filled him.

'I must find her,' he told himself, _'but if she is not her then where-' _Peter's train of thought was interrupted by a sudden realization. His feelings of need and desperation were quickly abandoned (for the time being,) for those of fury and anger.

Without a word Peter turned for the nursery window.

It was as Peter moved that John first noticed.

'Peter has grown!' he thought amazed.

But before he could question Peter on the subject, he watched as the boy would could fly descended from the window and into the night sky.

"Wait!" John cried without thinking and quickly made his way to the open window.

Peter stopped and turned.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Wendy!" Peter answered determinedly.

"What about us?" John questioned referring to himself and his brothers.

"I'll send Tinkerbell to bring you all tomorrow night but now I must hurry!" Peter yelled quickly as he turned back and began to fly towards Neverland.

John could not be certain (for he was very tired,) but he was almost sure he heard Peter mumble something about Hook as he flew into the night.

* * *

**a/n: more to come soon i've been on a roll with where i want this to go. feedback is lovely. enjoy!**


End file.
